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W. A. KNIPE & G. G. WADLEIGH. BOOT 0R SHOE AND THE ART 01-" MAKING THESAME.

Patented May 18, 1886;

3 513 @Momwg 41' W am ww :shmglon n c lUiTEn STaTns PATENT Trice.

NVILLIAM A. KNIFE AND GEORGE O. \VADLElGl-l', OF HAVERHILL, MASS.

BOOT OR SHOE AND ART OF MAKING THE SAME.

EPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,920, dated May 18,1886.

Application filed January 18. 1886. Serial No. H8304. (X0 rinodrl.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. KNIPE and GEORGE O. WADLEIGH, ofHaverhill, in the county of Essex and State of Massachu setts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Boots and Shoes and theArt of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to boots or shoes and the art of making the same,and has for its object to avoid channeling or cutting the sole or anyother portion of the shoe, which latter operation results in weakeningthe parts, and in other defects well known to those skilled in the art.

Our invention is particularly applicable to turned shoes; and, aspracticed in that connection, it consists in passinga series ofsecuring-loops from a single thread through the portion of the upperlying on the sole at the point where it is desired to attach the formerto the latter, and through a portion of the sole, passing a thread orloop or tuft of a thread through each securing-loop above the innersurface of the sole, and taking up or tightening each securing-loop,thereby drawing the bight, thread, or tuft of thread passed through itclosely against the inner surface of the sole and firmly into the holeformed for the securing loop, whereby the securing-loops are locked, allchanneling or cutting of the sole is avoided, the sole and uppereffectively and conveniently secured together, and the holes made forthe securing-loops entirely closed, while at the same time theflexibility of the sole is left intact.

In the drawings hereto annexed, and forming a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 represents a cross-section of a portion of aturn boot or shoe, showing the course of the threads therein for unitingthe upper to the sole, the shoe being shown as inside out, or beforebeing turned. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is across-section through one side or edge of the sole and upper,representing the shoe as turned, and showing the course of the threadstherein when in that p0 sition. FigAisadiagrammaticplanviewshowing theloops of the securing-thread as interlocked with a single strand of thelockingthread. Fig. 5 is a like view showing the loops of thesecuring-thread as interlocked with tufts of a thread; and Fig. 6 is aview of two loops or stitches of the threads alone,showing the positionthey are made to assume in the work. Fig. 7 represents a modification.

In carrying out our invention we secure the sole a to the last, and pullthe upper b, with the stiffening therein, wrong side out thereover andlast it, all in the usual well-known way. \Ve then pass throughtheupper,at the point where it is desired to secure it to the sole, :1series ot'securingloops, c, from asingle thread, (3, each loop passingthrough a. portion of the sole to and above its upper inner surface, asclearly represented by dotted lines in Fig. 1, where we interlock orinterloop the loops of the securingthread with a thread, 6, of singlethickness passed through such loops, as shown in Fig. 4, or with bightsor loops formed in said thread 6 and passed through the securing-loops,as shown in Figs. 1, 2,and 6, or with simple tufts, e, of a thread orthreads, as represented in Fig. 5, drawing up or tightening eachsecuring loop, thereby drawing the thread, loop, or tuft passed throughit firmly into the hole formed for the securingloop, thereby closingsuch holes and attaching the upper to the sole. When the thread 0, withwhich the sccuringthread (Z is interlocked, is continuous, as shown inthe drawings, the connecting portions between the loops orlocking-points is left slack, so that the flexibility of the solewillnot be affected, which is one of the important features of ourinvention. \Ve prefer to lock the loops of the securing-thread on theupper inner surface of the sole with loops or bights formed in thelocking-thread, as represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 6, though in someinstances we simply pass a single strand of the locking-thread throughthe securing-loops, as shown in Fig. 4E, and in some cases we pass atuft of thread through the securing-loops, as represented in Fig. 5.After the upper is secured to the sole, as represented in Figs. 1, 2,and 4., the portions of the locking-thread between the points at whichit is engaged by the securing-thread may be cut away,so as to leavetufts substantially like those shown in Fig. 5.

By our method all cutting or channeling of the sole is avoided, and aboot or shoe pro duced in which the natural flexibility of the sole isnot interfered with, and the holes formed by the needle in the betweensubstance are securely closed.

The invention is not limited to turned shoes, but may be applied towelted work, as shown in Fig. 7, in which the securingloops are shown aspassed through the welt wand upper into the outer surface of the innersole, and locked at their inner ends in the manner already described.

A boot or shoe constructed in accordance with our invention differs froma turned or welted shoe as heretofore made, in the followingparticulars, viz: First, the sole to which the upper is secured is notweakened by chauneling;secondly,the secu ring-loops when taken up,pu1lthe locking threads or bights so closely against the surface of the solethat the said securing-loops cannot render or slip through the holes inthe sole through which they pass, each loop being therefore anindependent fastening; and, lastly, the flexibility of the sole is notimpaired by the locking-threads or the single thread withlocking-bights, as it is by the ordinary stitching which usuallyconnects soles and uppers in this class of work.

WVha-t we claim is- 1. The improvement in the art of attaching soles tothe uppers of boots and shoes, which consists in passing securing-loopsfroma single thread through a series of holes in the upper and in aportion of the sole, said holes extending substantially at right angleswith the edge upper and a portion of the sole,said holes eX- 5 tendingsubstantially at right angles with the edge of the sole, each loop beinglocked at the inner surface of the sole by an independent locking threador loop of th read passed through it and drawn byit against the innersurface of the sole, the locking thread or threads being slack ordisconnected between the securingloops, so that theflexibility of thesole is unimpaired, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses,this 9th day of January, 1886.

- WILLIAM A. KNIPE.

GEORGE O. XVADLEIGH.

\Vitnesses:

O. G. J oHNsoN, EDWIN BAILEY.

